Crimson Ties
by crimsondaisies
Summary: Sakura becomes engaged to Sasuke and is destined for a marriage of convenience. But when she is reunited with a man from her past new feelings begin to surface, and she has to decide between love and money.


Sakura Haruno starred at the handsome man dressed in a black suit before her.

He was down on one knee with a small black box presented in his hand. The lid was lifted to reveal the elegant golden ring decorated with small diamonds.

She shifted in her chair nervously, aware of the eyes on her and the pressure of speaking the previously rehearsed lines correctly. The most important word being one that contained only three letters.

"Yes," Sakura finally answered. Her cheeks burnt a shade of red that matched her fiancees red tie. "I will marry you Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled as he placed the ring on her left hand and tucked the box back into his pocket.

The newly engaged couple finally acknowledged the onlookers as photographers pulled out their cameras and journalist began bombarding the pair with questions.

Sakura placed her newly decorated hand on Sasuke's chested as they posed for the ongoing camera flashes. Her slim body was draped in a rosy silk dress that trailed along the floor. The low v-neck left enough room for the trio of thin golden necklaces draped around her neck. While her admired pink tresses were pulled back into a messy yet elegant bun, a few soft curls escaped and danced around her neck . She looked like a goddess.

"I'm sorry for interrupting everyone's dinner," Sasuke said with a modest bow.

The crowd replied with cheers of congratulations.

Sakura smiled as she returned to her seat.

Sasuke placed a loving hand on her bare back as he joined her. A smirk was firm across his lips, he knew the benefit dinner for Orphans of Fire would be the best opportunity to get coverage on his engagement. And the nod of approval from his father confirmed he made the right move. By tomorrow morning every newspaper in Fire Country will be writing about the newly engaged couple and most importantly _The Uchiha Cooperation. _A cooperation which distributed uniform and gear for Konoha's Shinobi and police force, among other things.

Sakura held her smile as she was congratulated by everyone on the large round table. Again Sasuke had made another good publicity move and she was certain he would be taking over as head of the company within a year. Also considering the next in line had no interest in the company and was off pursuing his own interests.

"Do you have a date already picked out for the wedding?" The woman seated besides Sakura, who was dressed excessively elegant questioned. She was covered head to toe in fur, silk and diamonds.

Sakura couldn't help but feel as though she was looking into her own future. The woman in her youth would have been beautiful. But with age came the increasing pressure to look youthful and she had chosen to end the aging process with one too many procedures. Sakura herself had noticed the unspoken competition that went on between the women of upper class.

These events seemed to be more for the wives of the rich and successful to flaunt their latest splurge of surgeries, jewelry, furs and dresses. And with each event Sakura attended, she could feel herself being pulled in. At only nineteen she found herself beginning to notice lines on her forehead that no one else but her could see.

"We haven't set a date but we think may next year," Sakura replied with her usual warm smile. "I wanted to wed my darling Sasuke sooner but sadly my parents have fallen ill so I will be leaving tomorrow for the coast for two months to care for them."

This of course was a lie. It was known only to her and Sasuke that Sakura was once herself an Orphan of Fire. While growing up in the orphanage she dreamed of one day living in Konoha among the high class. On her seventieth birthday she made her dream a reality and landed herself an apartment and job at the Golf Club, where she eventually met Sasuke.

The woman placed a diamond covered hand over her heart, "you truly are as sweet as everyone says. You'll make a fine wife."

"Thank you-" Sakura found herself forgetting the woman's name, her mind recalled the entire evening as she tried to remember the moment they were introduced. "Miss Amaya."

Amaya smiled as she was drawn into a conversation across the table.

Sakura sipped the glass of champagne in front of her while her eyes stayed connected to the ring she accepted only minutes ago. This was meant to be the happiest night of her life, so why did she feel so empty?

* * *

Sakura leaned back into the passenger seat as she watched the orbs of light flicker past the tinted window. She felt the droplets of water that fell from the night sky onto the glass reflected her current mood, gloomy.

"You did well tonight," Sasuke broke the silence, his eyes stayed on the road. "I don't think we even needed to rehearse in the first place."

"Thank you," Sakura whispered.

Her emerald eyes wandered towards Sasuke as his mobile phone began ringing. She hated that particular ringtone. It was a different tune from the other times it rang and it usually ended with Sakura feeling heartbroken and the Uchiha falling into a fowl mood.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

"No," Sasuke answered bluntly.

"You should keep your mistress happy," Sakura said softly, her words coated in a hidden bitterness. "She could go to the papers and ruin your perfect image."

"Watch your tongue," he retorted angrily.

Sakura moved her hand to her lips as she pretended to zip them shut and throw away the key.

Before her and Sasuke had begun dating he was known as a party boy, and would often be in the papers for his alcohol and drug fueled antics. But his relationship with Sakura redeemed his past ways, as it seemed the public had fallen for the girl with exotic pink tresses.

Sasuke sighed as his phone stopped ringing, it was clear Karin, the woman who Sakura dubbed his mistress had already heard of their engagement. She would be enraged of course, but the Uchiha did not care for her feelings. At the end of the day Sakura did more for his public image than Karin ever would. Thankfully for him Sakura was a big enough doormat to even allow him to see other women. But that is what made her perfect, she was easy to mold and manipulate into the perfect woman for him. He could never stand dating the upper class girls, who all possessed overbearing parents and a delusional attitude that they were a gift from the heavens. When Sasuke met Sakura he could see the great opportunity presented to him and he took it.

The gates of the Uchiha Compound opened immediately for Sasuke. He turned down the road that lead to their home.

"You need to get over this jealousy towards Karin," Sasuke finally spoke. "I won't tolerate it."

He parked out the front and left the keys in the ignition, as his personal valet opened the door for him. The large windows of their small stone mansion suddenly light up as the servants were notified of their arrival.

"Thank you," Sakura acknowledge the servant that opened the front door for her. She was aware that Sasuke was tailing her.

"Sakura," Sasuke called her name in a demanding voice as he followed her up the marble staircase.

"Shouldn't you be ringing Karin back?" Sakura called over her shoulder, she lifted her dress to her ankles as she raced up the stairs. She couldn't deny the anger that filled her body, Karin couldn't even leave Sasuke alone the night they had become engaged.

The servants kept their eyes straight as the pair argued down the long hallway towards Sakura's bedroom. Their words echoed through the mansion.

"Leave me alone Sasuke!" Sakura screamed as she slammed her bedroom door shut, causing the eggshell walls to shake violently.

Sakura ignored Sasuke who was knocking persistently at the door as she slipped out of her high heels and wiggled her toes into the soft carpet. It felt better here then when she did it on the cold wooden floors of the orphanage. She slipped the thin straps of her dress off her shoulders and let the silk material drop to the floor. She hid her naked body with a pink robe, silk of course. Almost everything Sasuke brought her was silk.

"For fuck sake Sakura!"

Those words were followed by her door being kicked open. The detailed wood splintered as it came off the bottom hinges.

"Get out!" Sakura demanded as she backed away from the angered Uchiha.

Sasuke ignored Sakura's words as he grabbed her hair, causing it to fall from the confides of a bun into a long mess of curls. "What the fuck has gotten into you?" He growled as he brought her face close to his.

"Let me go," Sakura demanded, she could feel the grip he had of her hair get tighter.

"How much have you had to drink?" He could smell the mixture of champagne and strawberries on her breath.

Sakura looked away, it was known between the two that alcohol had a way of loosening her tongue a little too much.

"You need to remember who is in charge," Sasuke said as he began to trail his free hands along her collar bone. He pulled the silk material of her robe off one of her shoulders, exposing one of her firm breast. He brought his lips to hers as he began to pinch the erect rosy bud between his fingers. He brought his lips to the shell of her ear, "remember who buys you all these pretty things and who gets to take them off you."

Sakura let a soft moan escape her lips as Sasuke pulled the strings of her robe open, forcing it to the floor. She shivered as his free hand continued to roam her naked body.

Despite Sasuke's busy agenda he rarely left her deprived of physical intimacy. Of course the same couldn't be said for her emotional needs.

Sasuke forced her body backwards until her bare back met the soft material of her large bed. Through hazy eyes she studied the man above her. She loved when his eyes were focused on her, and only her. Although he could be a selfish lover, she still craved his touch.

He moved his lips to her neck, placing rough kisses and nips along the nape. A hand still remained on her breast, teasing the soft mound of flesh with squeezes and pinches. While his free hand found it's way to her slim, yet toned thighs. Though she wasn't a shinobi, she sure trained like one. And the results were clear in her petite frame.

"Sasuke.."

He smirked as his name escaped her lips.

Sakura started to feel impatient, the Uchiha always enjoyed teasing her. And Sasuke made sure he kept his lower half away from hers. "Sasuke please," she cried.

"What do you want?" Sasuke questioned as his lips continued to travel along her soft skin.

"I want you."

"And?" He said as he placed a kiss between her breast.

Sakura held back a groan of annoyance, he always wanted her to grovel. "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier."

"And what do you want me to do to you?" Sasuke looked up at her, returning her lustful gaze.

"I want you to make love to me," Sakura whispered, she always hated saying those words. Sasuke knew that.

"Make love to you?" He chuckled, "this isn't a romance novel. Now what do you want me to do?"

She bit her bottom lip with anger, now aware that he was really just teasing her for his own amusement. But her body was betraying her and she needed him, "I want you to fuck me."

Sasuke let another chuckle escape him as he moved his lips to meet hers. He removed his hands from her body as he stood at the end of the bed. "You were right Sakura, I should really return Karin's call."

Sakura sat up, she folded her arms over her exposed breast. "W-what?!"

"You leave tomorrow don't you? Make sure you're on your best behavior, there's always someone watching." Sasuke said as he loosened the red tie around his neck. He stopped at the doorway, his eyes studying the damage he had conflicted earlier. "I'll have someone to fix the door tomorrow morning. Goodnight Sakura."

Sakura remained silent, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing heavy. She watched as he disappeared into the hallway. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she realized this was her punishment for expressing her anger vocally.

She closed her eyes as she laid back down, she rested a hand on the empty space besides her. She had been given everything she had dreamed about as a child but something still was missing.

* * *

_It's been raining all day so I started writing this while drinking numerous cups of tea. __What did you guys think? Constructive criticism is welcomed :)_

_thank you for reading!_


End file.
